What Do Birdies, Bogeys and Pars Mean in Golf? By Brent Kelley Updated July 24, 2016. So you're new to the game of golf and you keep hearing references to birdies and bogeys , eagles and pars . What are those things, anyway? What do those golf scoring terms mean? Glad you asked. They are terms that describe different types of scores on an individual golf hole . Start With Par, Go From There Start with par, because all golf scoring terms are defined in relation to par. "Par" refers to the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need to complete the play of one hole on a golf course . Golf holes of different lengths will require more or fewer strokes by a golfer. And regardless of length, the par number of a hole always allows for two putts. So a 150-yard hole is one on which the expert is expected to hit the green with his tee shot , take two putts , and, therefore, require three strokes to finish that hole. Such a hole is therefore called a par-3 . A very good golfer - or a very lucky golfer - might complete a hole in fewer strokes than the par.

continue reading below our video Golf Scoring Terms And of course, most of us aren't "experts" at golf, and so on most holes we'll need more strokes than the par. That's where those other terms - birdies, eagles, bogeys, et.al. - come into play. They describe a golfer's performance on a hole in relation to the hole's par: A birdie is 1-under par A bogey is 1-over par An eagle is 2-under par A triple bogey is 3-over par Given that a par-5 hole is the highest par most golfers will ever see, there is a limit to how far under par a golfer can go. But a hole-in-one - knocking the ball in the hole with your first shot - is also called an "ace." ( On a par-5 hole, making an ace means a golfer is 4-under on that hole and, yes, golfers have a term for that, too: condor.) Scores over par can keep going up, and you just keep adding to the prefix, as in quadruple bogey , quintuple bogey, and so on. Here's hoping that's knowledge you'll never need.

The Actual Number of Strokes That Result in These Golf Scores Here's what these most-common golf scoring terms mean for holes with pars of 5, 4 and 3, in the actual number of strokes: What is an eagle, birdie and bogey? | Reference.com What is an eagle, birdie and bogey? A: Quick Answer Eagle, birdie and bogey are all golf terms for the number of strokes required to complete a hole. They are relative to par, which is the number of strokes set as the standard for a particular hole. Full Answer A player scores an eagle when he or she hits the ball in the hole with two strokes fewer than par. For example, if par is five, a player scores an eagle by completing the hole in three strokes. Scoring an eagle is rare among recreational golfers. A typical eagle occurs on a player's second shot, after he or she has driven and is attempting to reach either the putting green or the area adjacent to the green. A player scores a birdie when he or she completes a hole one stroke below par. Birdies are more common than eagles, more so among professionals and skilled amateurs.

Golf historians believe that the term birdie first appeared in the United States around the end of the nineteenth century. A player scores a bogey when he or she completes a hole one stroke over par. According to About.com, the term bogey was first used in the 1890s and, at that time, had a meaning similar to par. What Is an Eagle? | Wonderopolis Wonder of the Day #189 What Is an Eagle? Listen On April 10, 1916, 35 golfers created The Professional Golfers' Association of America in New York City. Since that time, countless golf balls have taken to the skies in search of the elusive hole-in-one. If you've ever watched golf on television, you may have been confused by some of the interesting words you probably heard. From bogeys to birdies to eagles to holes-in-one, golf certainly has a unique vocabulary all its own. Most of these terms relate to another special term used in golf: par . Golfers use the word “ par " to describe how many strokes (golf shots) it should take to get the golf ball from the tee (where you start) into the hole (where you end).

For example, if par for a particular hole is 4, it should take most golfers four strokes to get the golf ball into the hole. The farther away the hole is from the tee — and the more obstacles there are, such as sand traps, hills, trees or water hazards — the higher the par will be. Holes will usually have a par of three, four or five strokes. Most 18-hole golf courses have par values of 72, based on four par -3 holes, 10 par -4 holes and four par -5 holes. It is quite rare to find par -6 or par -7 holes. A golfer's goal, of course, is to get the golf ball into the hole with as few strokes as possible. The absolute minimum number would be one stroke — the elusive and very rare hole-in-one. And the maximum? Well, as many amateur golfers will tell you, there really is no limit to the number of strokes it can take some days! Golfers compare the number of strokes it takes to get their golf ball in the hole with the par score. On a par -5 hole, five strokes would be par .

Hitting par for a hole is sometimes called "even." Par means “equal" in Latin. Golfers try to avoid going over par , but it happens frequently, even for professionals. A score of 1 over par (+1) on a hole is called a " bogey ." More than one stroke over par is called a "double bogey " (+2), "triple bogey " (+3) and so on. Golfers strive to stay under par on every hole. Since it's difficult to do so, special names are used to refer to the achievement. Hitting 1 under par (-1) on a hole is known as a " birdie ." Hitting 2 under par (-2) on a hole is even more difficult and is called an " eagle ." An even rarer achievement is 3 under par (-3), which is known as an "albatross." Some golfers, especially in the United States, also call this shot a "double eagle ." It is such a rare achievement that professional golf tours record, on average, less than three of these shots each year.

The lowest individual hole score ever recorded is 4 under par (-4), also called a " condor ." There have been only four condors ever recorded and none during a professional tournament. Terms exist for even rarer events — " ostrich " for 5 under par (-5) and " phoenix " for 6 under par (-6) — but no one has ever made these shots. Some consider them impossible — they require a hole-in-one on a par -6 or par -7 hole — because these holes themselves are very rare. The seventh hole on the Satsuki golf course in Japan happens to be one of the few par -7 holes in the world, and it also happens to be the longest hole in the world at 964 yards. Wonder Words (12) Take the Wonder Word Challenge Wonder What's Next? Tomorrow’s mathematical Wonder of the Day may have you counting 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29… Try It Out Ready to take a shot at a birdie or an eagle? It's time to play some golf.

If you're near a golf course and have all the necessary equipment, feel free to hit the links. If not, play at home! Grab a club, a bat, a stick or even a wooden spoon. Get a few golf balls or ping-pong balls or any kind of ball. Find some empty cups or tin cans, and get ready to play. If you need some help, just follow these easy directions to set up your own miniature golf course at home. Don't forget to yell “fore!" before you hit the ball! Meaning of Golf Words - Par, Bogey, Birdie, Eagle, Albatross - Scottish Golf History Bogey to Blow-Up There is quite a history behind the golfing terms bogey, par, birdie, eagle and albatross. Bogey and par were central to the development of handicapping, pioneered by the LGU . The modern meaning of three of the terms - bogey, birdie and eagle - comes from their use in USA. Bogey Par Birdie Eagle Albatross Bogey "Bogey" was the first stroke system, developed in England at the end of the 19th Century.

The full history is given in Robert Browning's History of Golf 1955 . In 1890 Mr Hugh Rotherham Secretary of the Coventry Golf Club conceived the idea of standardising the number of shots at each hole that a good golfer should take, which he called the 'ground score.' Great Yarmouth where term Bogey was first coined Dr Browne, Secretary of the Great Yarmouth Club, adopted the idea, and, with the assent of the club's golfers, this style of competition was introduced there for use in match play. During one competition Mr CA Wellman (possibly Major Charles Wellman) exclaimed to Dr Browne that, "This player of yours is a regular Bogey man". This was probably a reference to the eponymous subject of an Edwardian music hall song "Hush! Hush! Hush! Here Comes the Bogey Man", which was popular at that time. So at Yarmouth and elsewhere the ground score became known as the bogey score. A 'bogle' was a Scottish goblin as far back as the 16th Century and a Bogey-man was a widely used term for a goblin or devil.

Golfers of the time considered they were playing a Mister Bogey when measuring themselves against the bogey score. This allowed the introduction of bogey competitions, which we would call handicap competitions or stablefords. On 2nd January 1892, The Field reported that 'a novelty was introduced in the shape of a bogey tournament for a prize. ... Fourteen couples started but the bogey defeated them all.' In 1892, Colonel Seely-Vidal, the Hon Secretary of the United Servic es Club at Gosport, also worked out the 'bogey' for his course. The United Club was a services club and all the members had a military rank. They could not measure themselves against a 'Mister' Bogey or have him as a member, so 'he' was given the honorary rank of Colonel. Thus the term 'Colonel Bogey' was born. Later, in the middle of 20th century, bogey was used as the term of one above par. Par Par is derived from the stock exchange term that a stock may be above or below its normal or 'par' figure.

In 1870, Mr AH Doleman, a golf writer, asked the golf professionals David Strath and James Anderson, what score would win 'The Belt', then the winning trophy for 'The Open', at Prestwick, where it was first held annually from 1861 to 1870. Strath and Anderson said that perfect play should produce a score of 49 for Prestwick's twelve holes. Mr Doleman called this 'par' for Prestwick and subsequently Young Tom Morris won with a score of two strokes 'over par' for the three rounds of 36 holes. Tom Morris Jnr Youngest Open Winner Although the first noted use of the word "par" in golf was in Britain and predates the bogey, today's rating system does not and the par standard was not further developed until later. It was the Ladies Golf Association, who, from 1893, began to develop a national handicapping system for women . It was largely in place by the end of the Century. The Men's association, founded in 1894, followed suit a few year's later.

In 1911, the United States Golf Association (Men) of the day laid down the following very modern distances for determining par: Up to 225 yards Over 601 yards Par 6 As golf developed, scores were coming down, but many old British courses did not adjust their courses or their bogey scores, which meant good golfers and all the professionals were achieving lower than a bogey score. This meant the US had an up-to-date national standard of distances for holes, while the British bogey ratings were determined by each club and were no longer appropriate for professionals. The Americans began referring to one over par as a bogey, much to the British chagrin. By 1914, British golf magazines were agitating for a ratings system similar to the US. However the Great War 1914-18 intervened and it was not until 1925 that a Golf Unions' Joint Advisory Committee of the British Isles was formed to assign Standard Scratch Scores (SSS), to golf courses in Great Britain and Ireland. Today, this committee is known as the Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU).

It is the Golf Unions of each country (and not the Royal and Ancient) who determine pars and handicaps. Birdie "Birdie", meaning a score of one stroke under Par, comes from the early 20th century American slang term "bird", meaning anything excellent. The September 1911 edition of Maclean Magazine described a golf shot as - '"bird" straight down the course, about two hundred and fifteen yards.' The Country Club in Atlantic City lay claim to the first use of the word 'birdie' itself, as mentioned on the USGA website. In 1962 the US greenkeepers' magazine reported a conversation with A B Smith. He recounted that, in 1898/9, he and his brother, William P Smith, and their friend, George A Crump, who later built Pine Valley, were playing the par-four second hole at Atlantic City, when Ab Smith's second shot went within inches of the hole. Smith said "That was a bird of shot" and claimed he should get double money if he won with one under par, which was agreed.

He duly holed his putt to win with one under par and the three of them thereafter referred to such a score as a "birdie". The Atlantic City Club date the event to 1903. The First Birdie Hole, Courtesy of Atlantic City County Club By 1913, the term had crossed the Atlantic and Bernard Darwin writing in the September 1913 issue of Country Life of a visit to the USA said "It takes a day or two for the English onlooker to understand that ... a 'birdie' is a hole done in a stroke under par." Eagle White tailed Sea Eagle, courtesy of RSPB "Eagle", a score of two under par for a given hole, was clearly the extension of the theme of birds for good scores from a " birdie ". It would be natural for American golfers to think of the eagle, which is their national symbol and the term seems to have developed only shortly after the 'birdie'. Ab Smith ( see Birdie above ) said that his group referred to two under as an 'eagle'.

By 1919 the term was being introduced to Britain, as when Mr H D Gaunt's explained the use of 'birdie' and 'eagle' that he met in Canada . For many years, eagle was always introduced as American terms, as in 1922 when Cecil (Cecilia) Leitch described a putt for a 3 on a par-5 hole as 'securing what is known in American golfing parlance as an "eagle"' (Golf XII 1922 p 202). Albatross Albatross is the term for three under par and is a continuation of the birdie and eagle theme, but is in fact a British term. Ab Smith said his group used the phrase 'double eagle' for three under ( see Birdie above ), which is still the term most Americans and the name for their Double Eagle Club (membership by invitation only). Three under par is a very rare score and an albatross is a very rare bird. The exact origin is unclear but the first known reference in 1929 indicates that it had been in use for some time before then.

John G Ridland, who scored an 'albatross' in India in 1934 , theorized that it was the introduction of steel shafted clubs in 1920s which made this score achievable enough to necessitate a name for it. Durban Country Club 18th Hole site of first recorded albatross, a hole-in-one on 271 yard par-4 The first ‘albatross’ score reported as such in the press is from South Africa when E E Wooler scored a hole-in-one in the summer of 1931 on the 18th hole of the Durban Country Club which is a par-4. It cost £40 in drinks but, had he known that he was making history, he would not have minded. More details of the first albatrosses, are given in The Albatross has Landed in News section. The Whaup and Double Bogeys No standard terms for 2 or 3 or more over Par have emerged. They are just double and triple Bogeys. Depending upon how good you are, anything over 7, 8 or 9 will be a ‘Blow-up’ or a ‘Disaster’.

Joyce Wethered once suggested that a hole-in-one should be called a Curlew, known in Scottish as a 'Whaup', which, though fitting, did not catch on. It seems that golfing terms came into popular use in much the same way as you find new words being invented and used on the Internet. If they sound good, people start using them. What we do not hear about are all the terms, such as beantops , that never made it because they did not catch on. Only the future can tell which of the terms that we invent will still be being used in a hundred years time. Scottish Golf History Golf Vocabulary | English Club 1000 Phrasal Verbs for download! Golf Vocabulary This page covers the vocabulary and language of golf by looking at its background, equipment and people. Check your understanding with the vocabulary quiz and comprehension quiz . The dream of many people is to make lots of money, retire from work, and then spend the rest of their days walking around beautifully kept parks with finely-cut lawns, grassy fields and groves of leafy trees.

They dream of visiting these parks, or courses, day after day, and of using long metal sticks, called clubs, to hit a little white ball towards, and finally into, a small hole or cup in a manicured lawn they call a green. What they are dreaming of, of course, is playing the game we call golf. It is one of the few sports that nearly everyone can play, regardless of age, body shape, or level of fitness. It is a good form of light exercise, it can help people to relax, and it gives them plenty of time between shots to chat, joke around, or even discuss serious topics like business with their playing partners. As a result, golf has become a very popular game, enjoyed by millions of people in nearly every country of the world. History The first recorded game of golf was played at Bruntsfield Links, in Edinburgh, Scotland, in A.D. 1456, and until recently most historians believed the game originated in Scotland in the 11th century. But new evidence suggests a game very similar to golf was played in China during the Song Dynasty (A.D. 960-1279).

It was played with 10 clubs similar to modern golf clubs, and Chinese records and drawings show the clubs were used to hit small balls into holes in the ground, just like in modern golf. This game could have been introduced to Scotland in the 11th century by Mongolian traders and travellers. One of the oldest and most important organizations in the history of golf is the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) in Scotland, founded in 1754. The club's course had nine holes, and players would go around twice to complete a full round. As a result, eighteen holes became the standard number of holes in a round of golf. The rules of golf also originated at the R&A, although now they are jointly controlled by the R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA). How The Game Works Golf is played on specially-designed course consisting of a series of numbered holes. Some holes are short, just two or three hundred metres, while others are longer, up to five or six hundred metres. Each hole has a tee-off area, or tee box, from which the first shot is played. Then a long fairway with short grass leads to a small area of very short grass called a green.

There's is a small hole in the green called a cup in which a pin stands with a flag flying on it. The object of the game is to hit the ball and get it into the cup with as few shots as possible. But course designers don't want to make this too easy, so they build hazards into the course. On both sides of the fairway, and around the green, areas of long grass called the rough are usually found. Areas thick with trees and bushes are also common, along with hazards such as bunkers, lakes, creeks and gullies. Most golf courses have eighteen holes, though some only have nine. Players use one of several clubs to hit the ball towards the green, and then into the cup. Players carry up to fourteen clubs in a golf bag, or they have a caddie carry them. These clubs (see picture at right) include woods for long shots (on the left), irons for medium-length shots (top), and a putter for shots hit along the ground on the green (bottom). Players also carry their own score card, and record every stroke they play on each hole.

Each shot, whether it's a three-hundred metre drive or a two-centimetre putt, counts as one stroke. For each hole, a number known as par indicates the number of shots a very good player would normally take to complete the hole. Short holes are usually "par 3", medium-length holes are "par 4", while longer holes are "par 5". If a player completes a hole in one shot less than par, they have made a birdie. Two shots under par is an eagle and three shots under par is an albatross. One shot over par is a bogey, two shots over par is a double bogey and three shots over par is a triple bogey. If we add up the pars of all the holes on an eighteen-hole course, we find the par for the whole course. Most courses are par 72, with four par-3 holes, ten par-4 holes, and 4 par-5 holes. If a player shoots a round of 70 on a par 72 course, we can say they shot a "two-under-par" round.

In most formats of the game, the winner is the player who completes a round, or a series of rounds, with the lowest number of strokes. Tours and Tournaments As recreational golf became a popular hobby, professional golf became big business. Television broadcasts of major tournaments attract millions of viewers worldwide, and professional golfers play for millions of dollars in prize-money in hundreds of tournaments held all over the world. The biggest prize-money is offered in tournaments which are part of major tours such as the European Tour, the U.S. PGA Tour, and the U.S. LPGA Tour. Players must qualify to play on these tours, but qualifying is very difficult. Those who can't qualify can join other smaller tours such as the high-paying Japanese Tour. The four most important tournaments in men's golf are called 'the majors', held every year. They are The Masters, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship (also called The British Open) and the PGA Championship. A player who wins all four majors in a single year has achieved a "Grand Slam", while a player who wins each major at least once during his career has achieved a "career Grand Slam".

The total number of major tournaments a player wins determines his status in golfing history, and the current leader is Jack Nicklaus with 18 majors, although Tiger Woods is fast approaching this number. Women's golf doesn't have a set of widely-recognised major tournaments, but the most important of the current events are the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA Championship, the U.S. Women's Open and the Women's British Open. Famous Players Annika Sorenstam Annika Sorenstam, born near Stockholm in Sweden in 1970, is one of the greatest female golfers of all time. She won a record 8 Player of the Year awards between 1995 and 2005. Annika (at right, after playing a wood shot) has also won over 70 LPGA tournaments and nearly 20 other international tournaments. In 2008, she topped the LPGA's all-time money list with career earnings of over $21 million, $7 million more than any other female golfer.

During her career she was the only female golfer to have shot a 59 in competition, and in 2004 she achieved the all-time lowest season scoring average of 68.6969 shots per round. Tiger Woods Eldrick "Tiger" Woods (right, teaching a boy how to hold a golf club) is one of the most successful golfers of all time. Born in 1975 to an African-American father and a Thai mother, Tiger played golf from the age of two. As a boy he was the best young golfer in the world, winning the Junior World Championship six times. In 1994, Woods became the youngest ever winner of the U.S. Amateur Championship. After winning this event two more times over the next two years, Tiger turned professional in 1996. Since then he has won over 60 PGA events, including more major titles than any other golfer in history except for Jack Nicklaus. He is also the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and he won his first 50 PGA tournaments at a younger age, and in less time, than any other player in golf's history.

He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record nine times, and the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times. Golf Vocabulary List What Is a Double Eagle in Golf? (Definition, Examples) By Brent Kelley Updated February 06, 2016. "Double eagle" is a term golfers use for a score of 3-under par on any individual golf hole . Each hole on a golf course is rated as a par 3, par 4 or par 5, where "par" is the expected number of strokes an expert golfer will need to finish that hole. A great golfer should need four strokes to play a par-4 hole, on average. But when a golfer completes a hole in three strokes fewer than par, he is said to have made a "double eagle." The Scores That Result In A Double Eagle Here are a couple examples of the specific number of strokes it takes to make a double eagle.

You have made a double eagle when you: Score a 1 on a par-4 hole; or Score a 2 on a par-5 hole (Or score on a 3 on a par-6 hole, but par-6s are rare.) Double eagles on par-3 holes are not possible. And note that although scoring a 1 on a par-4 is a double eagle, no golfer would ever call it such - why call it a double eagle when you can call it a hole-in-one ? Are Double Eagles and Albatrosses the Same Thing? Yes - "double eagle" and " albatross " are two different words that describe the exact same thing. continue reading below our video The Fastest Miles Ever Run Double eagle is the more common term used in the United States; albatross is more commonly used in many other parts of the world, especially in the U.K. How Common Are Double Eagles? Double eagles are not common at all - in fact, they are rare, even among the best golfers in the world. Double eagles are much rarer than holes-in-one. Why?

Because making a double eagle usually requires holing a longer shot - a tee shot on a par-4 or a fairway wood or long iron approach on a par-5. In the first 50 years of the LPGA Tour's existence, only 25 double eagles were recorded. In 2012 on the PGA Tour , there were 37 holes-in-one but only four double eagles. See these FAQs on the topic for more: What are the odds of making a hole-in-one? Why Double Eagle? How did a score of 3-under on a hole come to be called a double eagle? For starters, "eagle" entered the golf lexicon after " birdie ," and golfers just stuck with the avian theme. (Which also explains "albatross.") An eagle is a score of 2-under on a hole; a double eagle is a score of 3-under on a hole. In theory, a triple eagle - 4-under on a hole - is possible: It would be a hole-in-one on a par-5 (also called a " condor ") or a score of 2 on a par-6.

For more about the etymology, see this FAQ: Golf Terms Subscribe Golf Terms Ever wonder what all those golf terms mean? What’s a bogey? What is all this talk about the back side? How much does a free drop cost? Unless you know the answers to these questions, you had better read up here. We’ve tried to make it a little easier for you and even inserted a couple of funnies too. We’ve researched our massive memories (that is the 1st funny!) and come up with a whole bunch of golf terms to assist you on the course and in the clubhouse. That’s right, you can be that guy who knows all the cool things to say… read on! ACE – This is a term used when a golfer makes a hole in one! In other words, the tee shot is hit and it goes into the hole – how about that! ADDRESS – Contrary to popular belief, this is not where the mailman delivers to but it is the position of one’s body taken just before the golfer hits the ball. You will often hear the term “addressing the ball” which means the golfer is standing there preparing to hit the ball. ALBATROSS – An old British name for a double eagle.

What’s that you say, two eagles? No, it means you scored 3 under par on a single hole! In other words, you scored a 2 on a par 5 hole. It’s a very good score and doesn’t happen very often. APPROACH – This is a short or medium iron which is played into the green. Often referred to as an “approach shot”. APRON – The closely cut area just around the edge of the green. Often referred to as the “Fringe”. BACKSPIN – This is a reverse spin, which causes the ball to stop very quickly on the green. BACKSWING – The backward part of the swing starting from the ground and going back over the top of the golfer’s head. BAIL OUT – A shot played to the “safe” part of the course. For example if the flag is right next to the water and the golfer intentionally shoots away from the flag to avoid the water – thus “bailing out” BALL MARKER – A token or small coin which is placed directly just behind the ball in order to mark the position of the ball on the green. This is usually done to allow another player who is farther away to putt without hitting any other balls.

BALL RETRIEVER – A long pole with a scoop on the end of it used to get balls out of water hazards. BALL WASHER – Come on, this one is self explanatory. These are found all over the golf course usually at the tee boxes. They clean and wash your ball. BANANA BALL – A slice that curves in a banana like shape from left to right (for right-handed golfers). BASEBALL GRIP – Holding the golf club like one would hold a baseball bat. All 10 fingers are on the grip. BEACH – An expression for sandtrap. (i.e. I’m in the beach) BENT GRASS – Type of grass which is found in mostly in northern climates. BERMUDA GRASS – Now think about this one for just a minute. This is a type of grass found mostly in southern climates, as it is tougher and more resilient to harsh sunlight. Kind of like you would find in… that’s right Bermuda! You are a genius! BIRDIE – A score of 1 under par for a hole. (i.e.

a score of 3 on a par 4 hole) BITE – A term used for the action of the backspin on the ball stopping it very quickly on the green. BOGEY – A score of 1 over par on a hole. (i.e. a score of 5 on a par 4 hole) BUNKER – Another name for a sandtrap. CADDIE – A person who carries a player’s clubs during play and offers assistance in accordance with the rules. CARRY – The distance in the air that a ball must travel before it hits the ground. (i.e. you need 160 yards to carry the water means you need to hit the ball 160 yards in the air to clear the water) CASUAL WATER – No this is not water dressed in blue jeans and T-shirt but rather any temporary puddles of water on the course which are not supposed to be there, like say for instance after a rainstorm. There is no penalty for a player to move his ball out of casual water. CHIP SHOT – A short approach shot with a low trajectory usually hit from close to the green. CHIP IN – This happens when you hit a chip shot (see above) into the cup.

(Note: this is usually good!) CHOKE – This word has two meanings. One is to grip lower on the club than normal (you may hear the term “choke down” on the club) The other definition in golf (and most other sports) means to collapse under pressure (i.e. he “choked” under the pressure of the Master’s). CHOP – To hit the ball with a hacking motion or the word immediately after “pork”. CLUBHEAD – The hitting area of the golf club. CLUBHOUSE – The main building at the golf course where players usually go to have refreshments and tell about their 2 under par round (note: at times, you can actually see their noses grow!) COURSE RATING – The difficulty of a course. Usually the higher the course rating the harder it is. CUP – The thing in the hole that holds the flagstick. DEUCE – Hmmm, now lets see, if an ace is a hole in one, then a deuce must be a hole in two! That’s right Sherlock! It is a score of 2 on a hole! DIMPLE – The small round indentations on the golf ball.

A lot of really smart guys (some call them scientists) got together and figured out how many dimples would help the ball fly straight and true. DIVOT – A piece of ground that is taken up by the club after hitting the ball. A good golfer ALWAYS replaces his divots and tamps them back down so they will grow back again! DOGLEG – This is one of two things. It is either one of four things that Rover walks on or it is a hole that goes straight for a while then has a bend (or “dogleg”) to the left or right. You decide which fits here! DOUBLE BOGEY – A score of two over par for one hole. These are not very good! DOUBLE EAGLE – NO, this is NOT two eagles, but it is a good score for one hole! In fact it is an excellent score for one hole – three under par for one hole! (i.e. a two on a par five!) This is also referred to as an “albatross”. DOWNHILL LIE – The ball is on the downslope of a hill. When a right handed player addresses the ball his right foot will be higher than his left foot.

DRAIN – To make a putt (“drain it”). DRAW SHOT – This is when a right handed player hits a controlled hook, which goes from right to left. DRIVE – This is the term which means your tee shot. It is also usually the way you get to the golf course. DRIVER – This is the club known as the 1 wood. It is usually the club that hits the ball the farthest. It is also a person that very rich people have to haul them around. DROP – This is a way that you get the ball back in play after hitting a shot into the water or out of bounds. This also happens to waitresses when they carry too many plates. DUB – A poorly hit shot. I “dubbed” that shot. DUFFER – One who hits a lot of bad shots. Can also be called a “hacker”. EAGLE – This is a bird in real life, but in golf it means a score of 2 under par on a hole. (I.e. a score of 3 on a par 5 hole) FACE – This is what you see when you look in the mirror and it is also the part of the clubhead that makes contact with the ball.

FADE – This is a shot (for a right-handed golfer) which curves gradually from left to right. FAIRWAY – This is the area on the golf course which lies directly between the tee box and the green and is cut really short and maintained really nice. You want to hit from this area if at all possible. FAT SHOT – This is a shot which is not good. The club hits the ground behind the ball and results in a poorly struck shot that usually doesn’t go very far. FLAGSTICK – Come’on, you gotta know this one. FLUB – See dub above. FOLLOW-THROUGH – The continuation of the golf swing to the end. FORE – This is spelled differently than the number 4. This is the term yelled when one hits a shot toward another person on the golf course to alert him/her of impending doom from being hit by the ball. FOURSOME – A term given to a group of… come’on how many do you think players? (hint: 4!) FREE DROP – A drop that you don’t have to pay for, really that is correct, you get to drop the ball and don’t have to add a stroke to your score.

This can happen when there is casual water on the course or ground under repair. FRINGE – The closely cut area just around the edge of the green. FRONT SIDE – The first nine holes is usually referred to as the “front side”. GIMME – A term for a putt that is close enough to the cup that it will certainly be made so the other player says “it’s a gimme” and the player doesn’t have to putt it. However, he does need to add this stroke to his score! GRAIN – This is the direction that the grass on the green is growing. A golf ball will roll faster with the grain and slower against it. GREEN – This is a color and also the term used to describe the putting surface on the golf course. GRIP – This refers to either the part of the shaft by which the club is held by the golfer or the manner in which the golfer holds the club. (i.e. an overlapping grip) GROSS – The total number of strokes a player takes on his round. GROUNDING THE CLUB – Placing the clubhead on the ground behind the ball at address position. GROUND UNDER REPAIR – An area on the golf course that is being repaired.

Golfers are able to take a “free drop” if their ball ends up in ground under repair. HACKER – A golfer who is not very skilled. Same as a duffer. HANDICAP – The number of strokes a player may deduct from his actual (or gross) score to adjust his score to that of a scratch golfer. HAZARD – A hazard is any sand trap, lake, pond, bunker, etc. that may cause problems on the golf course. It is normally a good idea to avoid a hazard on the golf course. HEEL – What you tell your dog to do when walking him/her OR the part of the clubhead nearest the shaft. HOLE – A 4 inch round receptacle on the green that you try to get your ball into. HOLE HIGH – An approach shot which is even with the hole but off to one side. HOLE-IN-ONE – See ACE above. HOLE OUT – the process of a player completing the hole. HONOR – the privilege of hitting first on the next tee. The “honor” is gained by having the lowest score on the preceding hole.

HOOK – To hit the ball and have it curve gradually from right to left (for right-handed golfers). HOSEL – The hollow part of the clubhead that the shaft fits into. INTERLOCKING GRIP – A type of grip where the little finger of the lower hand is interlocked with the index finger of the upper hand. IRON – A club with a metal head which is not a wood! JAIL – A golfer’s term for a ball hit into a lot of trees which makes it very difficult to hit your ball out of…”in jail” JUNGLE – A golfers term for heavy rough or in the woods. (i.e. in the jungle) KICK – A golfer’s term for bounce. (I got a bad kick means I got a bad bounce) LAG – To putt the ball with the intention of leaving it short of the hole so that the golfer is able to have a very easy putt on the next shot. LATERAL HAZARD – Any hazard that runs parallel to the fairway. LIE – This is what you tell your wife when she asks if you went to work and you really went golfing OR it is the position that the ball ends up when it comes to rest on the ground.

LINKS – Another word for a golf course. This originally meant a seaside course. LIP – The top rim of the cup or what you have two of on your face. LOB SHOT – A shot that goes straight up in the air and stops very quickly on the green. LOCAL RULES – A set of rules for a particular golf course as determined by that course. LOFT – This is an apartment in England OR it is the angle of the clubface from vertical. MATCH PLAY – This is a form of competition by holes. Each hole is worth one point no matter how many strokes one player beats another by. MEDAL PLAY – This is a form of competition decided by the overall number of strokes. This may also be referred to as stroke play. MULLIGAN – An extra shot which your opponent MAY allow you to take if you hit a really bad first shot. NOTE: this is NOT the way we suggest to play golf. MUNICIPAL COURSE – A public course which is owned by a local government agency. NASSAU – A form of competition which breaks down the play into front nine, back nine and overall 18 holes. A point is allowed for each nine and the total 18.

NINETEENTH HOLE – Another term for the clubhouse or in particular the bar at the clubhouse. This is Waggle’s favorite hole! OFFSET – A club with the head slightly behind (or offset) the shaft. OUT-OF-BOUNDS – The area outside of the golf course limits in which play is prohibited. If you hit the ball out of bounds you must hit again from the same spot and take a penalty stroke. OVERCLUBBING – Using a club that will hit the ball farther than necessary. PAR – The number of stokes that is recommended to take to complete a hole (or 18 holes). PENALTY STROKE – An additional stroke which is added to a golfer’s score for a rules violation, going out of bounds, losing a ball, or various other situations. PIN – This is the flagstick or the pole that is in the cup. PITCH – A short high arcing shot that lands on the green and usually stops quickly. PITCH AND RUN – Same as a pitch but hit with a lesser lofted club which causes it to roll farther. PIVOT – The rotation of the shoulders, waist, and pelvis during the golf swing.

PLAYING THROUGH – The process of slower players in front of faster players allowing the faster players to move ahead of the slower group. PREFERRED LIE – A lie that may be improved by a player. PRO SHOP – The golf course shop operated by the golf pro. PROVISIONAL BALL – An additional ball which is hit in case the first ball can not be found. If the first ball is found, it is played. If the first ball is not found, the provisional must be played and the player is assessed a penalty stroke. PULL – A ball that is pulled (or hit) to the left of the target (for right handers). PUNCH THE GREENS – No we’re not mad and hitting the greens… this is another way to say the greens are being aerified. PUSH – A ball that is pushed (or hit) to the right of the target (for right handers). PUTT – A shot that rolls on the green hit with the putter. PUTTER – The club with a flat face used to putt. Often called the “flat stick” PUTTING GREEN – The surface area around the hole that is specially prepared for putting. RANGE – This is the area where you go to practice.

It usually has many stations to hit practice shots. READING THE GREEN – Determining which way the putt will curve based upon the slope of the green. ROUGH – Long grass area adjacent to the fairway. Normally you try to avoid the rough. ROUND – Complete 18 holes of golf. (i.e. a round of golf is the playing of 18 holes) RUN – The distance the ball will travel along the ground after it lands. SANDBAGGER – This is a golfer who purposely tells others that he is a worse golfer than he really is in order to gain an edge in competition. SAND TRAP – The common name for a sand hazard. These are areas that are filled with sand and should be avoided. SAND WEDGE – An iron normally used to hit the ball out of the sand. It can also be used on short pitch shots. SANDY – A player makes a sandy when he hits a shot out of the sand and sinks the following putt. SCRATCH GOLFER – A player who has a handicap of 0. This player will theoretically shoot even par or better every time out. SHORT GAME – The part of the game made up of chipping, putting and other shots around the green.

SHOTGUN START – A method of starting play where players go to every tee box on the golf course and hit their tee shots at the same time. Sometimes a horn is sounded to start play. SIDE – This is a term, which is interchangeable with the word “nine” as in front side which means the front nine or front nine holes. Now if you are really smart, you can also figure out that the back side is the back nine or last nine holes! SIDEHILL LIE – This refers to a lie when the ball is resting on a slope and the golfer’s feet are either above or below the ball. SLICE – This is either a piece of bread or a shot struck by a golfer which curves pretty severely from left to right (for a right handed golfer). SLOPE RATING – USGA term that represents the difficulty of a course for bogey golfers relative to the USGA Course Rating (which represents the difficulty for scratch golfers). The higher the slope, the more difficult the course plays for bogey golfers. Slope ratings range from 55 to 155 and 113 is considered average.

SNAKE – An award 🙁 given to a player in a friendly game when the player three putts. Whoever has the snake at the end of the round usually ‘gets’ to treat the other players to a beverage. STARTER – The person who is responsible for sending the groups of players off the first tee. Usually the starter is located somewhere close to the first hole. STIMPMETER – This is a device which is used to calibrate the speed of the greens. Often referred to as ‘stimp’. A reading of 5 to 11 is the normal range with 5 being slow and 11 being extremely (PGA) fast! STONY – You just stuck it next to the pin… congratulations on the stony. This is the shot you wiggle and grunt to try and make it go in because you hit it so close to the hole. STROKE – This is often used in the following context, “how many STROKES are you giving me” which means how many shots or additional swings are you giving me to even out the match. It can also be the term used for the actual process of swinging the club through the ball.

SUDDEN DEATH – This is a method of breaking a tied match by playing extra holes. The first player to win a hole is the winner. SUMMER RULES – Ordinary rules according to the rulebook. SWEET SPOT – The center point on the face of the club. When you hit it here it feels really good! TAKEAWAY – This is what a golfer does when he starts the backswing. TEE – This is the wooden (usually) peg which is used to hold the ball up for driving. It is also the term for the area where play begins on a particular hole (i.e. the third tee is where the third hole starts) TEXAS WEDGE – The term for the putter when it is used from off the green. THREESOME – Hmmm… now if you think about this you might just get it. Hint: it refers to three players playing in the same group. TIGHT FAIRWAY – A narrow fairway with not much area on either side to miss. TOE – This is a term for what you have on your feet OR it refers to the part of the club farthest from where it joins the shaft. TRAJECTORY – The flight path of the ball.

If it goes way up in the air it is referred to a high trajectory. TURN – To start the back nine holes. To “make the turn” means you have finished the 1st nine holes and are “turning” to the 2nd nine. UNDERCLUBBING – Using a club that does not provide enough distance to hit the ball to the intended target. UNPLAYABLE LIE – A lie from which the ball can not be hit. (i.e. it is up against a tree and the player can not hit it) WAGGLE – The movement of the clubhead just prior to the player taking a swing. WEDGE – An iron with a high loft used for short shots requiring a high trajectory. WHIFF – Swinging and missing the ball. WINTER RULES – Local golf rules that permit the player to improve the lie of the ball in the fairway. There may be additional winter rules allowed depending on the golf course condition. WOOD – A club (either wood or metal) which is used for shots requiring a lot of distance. WORMBURNER – A shot which skims very low along the ground. Thus killing any worms that may be poking their heads up.

Stableford Golf Game Explained Share Stableford Each month we will try to bring to you straightforward examples of popular - and not so popular - games on the course; games that will make your rounds more challenging and fun to play. In this next installment of Game of the Month, we'll tackle a classic game: 'Stableford.' Stableford isn't played very often anymore (like knickers, some feel it should remain in the nineteenth century), but in a sport where people trek across the Atlantic to see 'the old course,' a game of Stableford may bring a bit of classic excitement to your round. In Stableford, you play against everyone else in your foursome (or if you have multiple foursomes, everyone else who is playing that day). The game is based on a point system, where the points you earn are determined by your score on the hole. Every point is worth a set monetary amount (some people play 10 cents, some people play ten dollars) that is decided in advance of the game. How many points is a hole worth?

Over time, variations on the game have arisen, and so we list three below: Stableford Variants 0 Points hole are doubled)* *Before you tee off, each golfer declares two joker holes - one on the front nine and one on the back nine. Since most people have a hard time shooting double eagles and eagles, golfers often play Stableford (especially classic Stableford) using their full handicaps. Using your Handicap Once you have a handicap, you can use it to play Stableford (or any other 'hole by hole' type of game) to make the game between friends of different skill levels more competitive and fun. On every course scorecard, you will see a line called 'HDCP.' HDCP stands for Handicap, and rates the difficulty of each hole (1 being the hardest, 18 the easiest). For most games (e.g. Match & Medal), you give the difference in handicaps as strokes. For example, if two friends with handicaps of 10 and 22 play a match, then the less skillful player will receive 12 strokes - one on each of the twelve hardest holes (as defined by the HDCP row).

If the difference between players is 20 strokes, the less skillful player would receive 2 strokes on 2 holes, and 1 stroke on 16 holes. If you play a game with more than two golfers, then everyone plays off the lowest handicap golfer. Once you subtract the strokes given to you, the result is a 'net score' that takes into account your handicaps. However there are a few games, such as Stableford, where players may choose to use their full handicaps. In the example above, the golfer with a 10 handicap would receive a stroke on each of the ten hardest holes, while the golfer with a 22 handicap would receive 2 strokes on the 4 hardest holes and 1 stroke on the remaining 14. In a game like Stableford this allows them to calculate the appropriate number of points earned on each hole. In Stableford, the golfer at the end of 18 holes who has the most points is declared the winner. The other players pay the winner the difference between their points multiplied by the value of each point (decided upon ahead of time).

Some golfers like to add pressure to the match by requiring third place to pay both second (the difference between the point totals for third and second multiplied by the point value) and first, and for fourth place to pay the other three players. This type of Stableford can quickly become very expensive! In the example below we display a simplified Classic Stableford game between two players. Note that both golfers are using their full handicaps (Jack takes a stroke on the hardest 13 holes and Tom takes 25 strokes): The red numbers on the scorecard indicate cumulative point totals for each player. For example, on the 4th hole Jack shoots a bogey. But because it is the 11th hardest hole on the course he receives a stroke, giving him a net par (worth 0 points) and keeping his point total static at -2. After 18, Tom wins the match by 10 points. If the twosome were playing for $1 a point, Jack would owe Tom $10. Next time you play golf, try a game of Stableford - a classic game for a classic golfer.

Question: In golf, how many strokes are played on a par five hole to achieve an 'eagle'?
Answer: three